


Temporary Love

by fictionaldesires



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Happy Ending, but rapunzel and eugene aren't, corona and the dark kingdom are enemies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:15:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24772252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionaldesires/pseuds/fictionaldesires
Summary: “You shouldn’t, you know.” It’s mumbled against him, quiet and insecure. He knows that he shouldn’t, he knew that when he first kissed her, but that doesn’t change how he feels. It doesn’t change that he wants to say it again.“I know” he agrees.“Then why do you?”Why do you love me?- or a forbidden love au
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Rapunzel, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

_a/n-_ Hi! So this is based off of the one shot I did for new dream appreciation week a couple weeks ago, so I recommend reading that first! You can fin it [here](https://fitzherbertssmolder.tumblr.com/post/618654540958515200/someday). I really enjoyed writing that one and was inspired to make it longer, so hope you enjoy!

Eugene remembers the first time he walked down these hallways.

It was just after his tenth birthday and his parents had finally decided to let him be more involved in the family’s royal duties. 

Unfortunately for him, his first day on the job was also the day his parents had decided to unload hundreds of years of history onto him. He was familiar with Corona, had learned about it in his history books, but his family kept rather quiet when it came to answering his questions regarding the Kingdom. They never shed details on their visits, never invited the opposing rulers to their home, never told Eugene any more than that he would know all about it when he was older. Apparently, being older actually meant when he was half way on the journey to the Kingdom in question, a packed bag on his lap.

The information was kept brief and very much one sided. There were stories of broken trade deals, runaway brides, political disagreement and just about everything else negative in between. Mostly he found the stories boring and couldn’t really understand why they all couldn’t just get along. But as they drove, he listened to the hatred spilling out of his parents’ mouths all the whilst staring out the window wishing he were anywhere else. 

As they had walked down the halls of the palace, his mother had rattled off a list of rules that he was to follow during this visit. They were basic enough - no talking to anyone, no asking questions, no touching- and he had prided himself that day on being the perfect little prince his family wanted him to be. 

That was, of course, until he met Rapunzel.

Ever since the beginning, they’ve had a habit of getting into trouble and that’s without taking the whole sworn enemies thing into account. They met for the first time in this exact hallway. His parents were busy with official business and he had been given free reign, the guards not really paying him any attention, so he had taken off exploring, running down staircases and sliding round corners until he came across the princess. She was sitting quietly against the wall, a book in hand, and appeared to be staring at the line of portraits on the wall opposite her. It seemed a little boring to him and he had only intended to make her day a little more interesting, whatever ever happened after that he couldn't really be blamed for. He moved the rest of the way across the hall and had sat down next to her on the floor, shoulders rubbing against hers.

_“Why are you watching the paintings?”_ he had asked, pointing to the wall opposite them.

_“I’m imagining what my portrait will look like one day.”_ Her voice was sweet and friendly and he liked friendly.

He had looked over at her, noticed the barrel of chalk on the floor by her feet and had an idea.

_“Why imagine it when you can draw it?”_

And that was that. They had spent the first part of their afternoon drawing their own royal portraits on the wall and spent the rest of it running away from angry guards and cleaning staff. It’s safe to say that his parents were not too pleased with him when they returned home and had swiftly put the princess’ name on the list of people he was not allowed to associate with. 

Ignoring them immediately. on his next visit whilst his parents were held up in meetings, he had slipped into the palace on a hunt to find the princess. Rapunzel had told him all about their two families and the disagreements they’ve had over the years. _Enemies_ , she had called them. They had hid away in the library, a chair pressed up against the door for safety, as she had spilled all the secrets his parents kept from him. It was all there in black and white in the books before him, years and years of hate towards his home, _his family_ and it suddenly all made sense why they kept these visits so short and far apart, why they were more upset with the Rapunzel part about the whole drawing fiasco then with him.

So as the years flew by and he got older, his visits went like this. 

He would start by doing his princely duties, walking around the kingdom under guard supervision and under the eyes of his parents. They would eat at the palace and visit local trade and promise to work towards a better future, giving sincerity where his parents spilled lies. Then he would spend the rest of his time locked away in the palace with Rapunzel. They hid out in the gardens and stole fresh flowers for Rapunzel’s braid. They ran through the secret hallways and played hide and seek, often getting lost down there and missing dinner. They would build a fort out of blankets and snuggle underneath it with snacks they stole from the kitchen, reading until their eyes fell shut. Summers and holidays were spent just like this, with him finding company in Rapunzel and both of them letting the past of their families fade away.

Now, more than ten years later, he is walking down the same lantern lit hallways and nothing has changed at all. The staff that passed them still turn their heads away to avoid eye contact and talk in whispers to one another. The King and Queen still frown at them as they approach the great hall and bow in welcome. Eugene and his parents are still separated as they are shuffled on towards their chambers and Eugene is left outside the door to do whatever he pleases. Apparently, he’s seen as the least threatening out of the three, mostly likely meaning he’s the least likely to start a heated discussion, and so they don’t really pay him any attention, their focus much more on his parents.

Which, he guesses, works in their favour. 

The hallway is empty now as he leans against the brick, eyes scanning the paintings lining the wall opposite him. There’s portraits of the current rulers sitting side by side, paintings of the ones that came before and the ones that are no longer here. He recognises a few of them, has seen them in his books, but some of them are unfamiliar and frankly quite uninteresting. The royal family, including his own, hasn’t actually been something he’s taken a liking to and most of the time he wishes he wasn’t a part of.

“Watching the portraits again?”

The voice comes from the opposite side of the hall, his head moving immediately at the familiar tone he hears. Rapunzel is standing in the doorway leading to the staff quarters, her hands on her hips and her head tilted in question. There’s a teasing smile on her lips as she stands and waits for his answer.

“I’m just curious,” he says, pushing himself off the wall and beginning to walk towards her. “When I get to stare at your portrait?” 

Easily, Rapunzel follows his lead and starts walking too, a small skip in her step as her bare feet brush along the carpet. “Well, you could always paint it yourself.”

“Ah” he chuckles. “I don’t think I’d be able to capture your beauty properly Princess. My last attempt wasn’t very successful.”

They are standing together now, a few inches apart, in the middle of the hallway, the sunlight streaming in from the large glass windows lining the hall. Rapunzel places her hand on her chest and lets out a gasp, her whole expression feigning shock.

“Am I getting this wrong or is the Dark Prince trying to flirt with me?”

Eugene shrugs easily and reaches forwards to grab her by the waist, pulling her in until her toes press against his. “I think he just might be.” Eugene leans in to rub his nose along hers, his smile widening when he hears her laugh freely. “Would it be a problem if he was?”

Rapunzel pulls back just a little, scrunches her eyes in thought for a moment and hums. “Maybe.” She lifts her hand up to his hair and smooths away the strand that’s fallen in front of his face. It’s grown a considerable amount since he was last here and she’s already having her fun with it. “But I’m willing to forgive him.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Eugene slides his hands up from her waist to rest a little further up on her stomach, tightening his clasp as their chests press flush together. He moves until their foreheads are touching and there’s now not an inch of space between them. Just how he likes it.

“And what does he have to do for your forgiveness?”

In hindsight it’s a silly question really. He knows exactly what she’s asking for, but he says it anyway for the only purpose of keeping this game going. Dragging out three months of anticipation. 

Lazily, Rapunzel drags a finger down behind his ear and keeps going until it’s locked under his chin, using the leverage to gently move his jaw closer to hers. She freezes like that for a moment, lips only moments away and she kills Eugene in one sweep.

“I don’t know” she muses, that finger now stroking his skin softly and weakening every cell in his body. “I guess he could always kiss me.”

“Kiss you?”

Rapunzel hums and nods shortly, their lips almost touching, her eyes now closed and her smile wide. He knows a pleading face when he sees one.

“I don’t know” he breathes against her. “Kissing a princess? I don’t think that’s-”

Rapunzel cuts him off, ever so nicely, with her lips on his, one arm thrown around his neck for leverage. He clutches her tighter as he presses his lips harder against her, firm and reassuring, and he lets himself be overwhelmed with all that he’s been missing these last few months. Letters are nice and comforting but this, holding Rapunzel, _kissing_ Rapunzel, nothing compares to this, and if he were to die right now, he would die a happy man. He moves one arm from around her waist to thread in between the twists of her braid, a few coming loose and he couldn’t really care less. Especially not when Rapunzel is pressing harder and pulling him tighter and whispering sweetly in between kisses.

“You came back” she says, breathless and dazed.

“I will always come back” he replies like a reflex, like a promise, pulling her back in and letting time fade away around them.

So this is how it goes now between them, how it’s been for the last two years. It all happened so quickly when they look back on it, a friendship turning into a romance between the two people who should have never crossed that line. Eugene had snuck out of the palace on his birthday, 18 and lonely and had returned a 19 year old with his heart bursting. It was a simple midnight picnic, one they have done many times before, but then Rapunzel had laughed at something stupid he had said and he was hit with the sudden urge to kiss her. He’d be lying if he said it was completely out of the blue, he had been having these feelings for a while, maybe longer than he would want to admit. But seeing her then, lying on the grass so freely, the moon reflecting in her eyes, he couldn’t think of a reason why he _shouldn’t_ kiss her. So he did. He closed the distance, pressed his lips against hers and let his kiss say what he was too scared to. That night ended with the two of them cuddled up under Rapunzel’s sheets, legs intertwined and soft kisses being traded in between heartfelt words.

After that it just became a thing. They weren’t entirely naive, they knew no one would approve of this and they would never be allowed to explore this freely within the castle walls. So they kept it a secret, kept it to the confines of Rapunzel’s bedroom and secret letters passed throughout Kingdoms. Kept it to kisses in hidden hallways and late night talks under Eugene’s covers. Feelings were kept hidden and future plans were only made tentatively in dreams. It’s unconventional and risky but for now it works, for now he has Rapunzel and that’s all he really needs.

It may have been a few months since his last visit, but they find their rhythm again easily,both of them taking their usual positions in Rapunzel’s room. Eugene is sprawled across her bed, shoes kicked off and jacket strewn across her dressing table chair. Rapunzel is laying across him, one hand on his chest and her chin perched on it. He has his hand locked around her back whilst one of hers plays gently with the fabric of his collar, drawing shapes and giving it a small tug when he says something silly. Which is exactly what she does now as he laughs at his own antics.

“You can’t say that Eugene!” she scolds, giving him a pull and then a light slap on his shoulder.

“What? I’m not allowed to say that I love you?”

He hadn’t meant to, it just slipped out, but he means it so he’s not taking it back.

Rapunzel closes her eyes and drops her head fully onto his chest, her hand pausing in the crook of his neck. Silence surrounds them for a moment and he likes how peaceful he feels right now, wrapped up in the summer sun with Rapunzel in his arms.

“You shouldn’t, you know.” It’s mumbled against him, quiet and insecure. He knows that he shouldn’t, he knew that when he first kissed her, but that doesn’t change how he feels. It doesn’t change that he wants to say it again.

“I know” he agrees.

“Then why do you?”

_Why do you love me?_

Eugene adjusts himself on the bed, sitting up, allowing Rapunzel to slip from his chest and sit more comfortably on his legs. He pulls her in closer until her knees hit the headboard and grips the back of her head to keep their eyes locked. She smiles at him shyly, almost anxiously and he can’t think of anything he loves less than seeing her nervous.

“You’re my best friend.” He says it bluntly, his thumb gently rubbing up and down the back of her neck. “You’re the only person in this world that I can count on, it’s as if all I need is to see your smile and all the problems just slip away. You make me laugh with your cheesy jokes, you inspire me with your art and the way you create it, you challenge me with your questions and your view on how this world should be.”

He pauses to slide his hands back around her waist, giving her a sly smile before wiggling his fingers against her sides and sending both of them collapsing against the mattress. Rapunzel laughs loudly as her back meets the bed and Eugene settles above her, fingers still attacking her with tickles in any spot he can reach.

“You’re extremely ticklish, no matter how much you try and deny it.”

Rapunzel lets out a weak _stop_ as she continues to squirm underneath him and he decides to let up just enough for him to place his hands on either side of her head, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her forehead. When he pulls back he lets his eyes roam for a minute, taking in everything that is Rapunzel. Her freckles, her eyes, her nose, the faint blush on her cheeks. She’s beautiful like this, open and free.

“You make me feel like _Eugene_ -” he whispers, a secret just for her “ - and not the Prince of the Dark Kingdom.”

She’s staring up at him now, eyes focused on his every word and breath held in anticipation. “Is that really a bad thing?” she asks, a hand now playing with the loose strands of his hair. 

He shakes his head. “No, not if it means I get to have you. Get to have this.”

The thing is, he hates everything about being a royal and Rapunzel knows that too, there’s no point trying to deny it. But he means it when he says it, he would endure this everyday for the rest of his life if it meant keeping Rapunzel by his side. I guess that’s just something you’re willing to do when you’re in love. _And God_ , is he in love with this girl. 

Eugene plants a soft kiss to her forehead. “In this room we are just Rapunzel and Eugene. Not the future rulers.” A kiss on one cheek. “In this room I love you.” A kiss on the other cheek. “And no one out there is ever going to change that.” He seals his words with his lips on hers, hoping to anyone who will listen that she can feel his love in that one kiss. Hoping that she can feel his promise, _they won’t stop me from loving you forever._

After that there’s no more words and they spend their time with lips moving against lips and fingers burning into each other's skin. There’s whispers of gratitude and love and hope. Hope for the future, hope for them. The sun casts its shadow on the room as they roll around and laugh and fall further into the bubble they’ve created over the years. They listen to heartbeats as Eugene kisses the words against her heart over and over again.

_I love you. I love you. I love you._

Hours pass by without them noticing and it’s only when there’s a knock on the door, a signal for dinner, that they part. They run down to the dinner hall, hand in hand, kisses pressed into hallways. They part ways at the door, Rapunzel giving him a curtsy before walking off to take her seat at the head of the table. They exchange looks across the way and hide their smiles behind napkins and wine glasses.

It’s only when Eugene returns to his own room later that evening to change his clothes that the conversation from earlier comes back to him. Hits him suddenly and sharply, like a wave crashing on the shore.

_I love you._

She never said it back. 

  
  


The next year continues similar to the last. It’s filled with princely duties and arguments with his parents and endless lessons about how to be a good king one day. It’s boring and long and Eugene feels like he’s suffocating. He goes to the classes against his will, he smiles at the fancy dinners to please his parents and he manages to stay quiet as he watches their Kingdom riot against the new rules. When he returns to his room he strips himself of all the royal duties and fades away into silk sheets and the comfort of stories made from fiction.

The only thing that has kept him going is Rapunzel.

He’s managed to squeeze in a few extra visits this year, thanks to the new title he managed to convince his father to give him. He’s now acting as part of the Royal Guard, nothing too involved, mostly giving orders and watching as they’re carried out, but the uniform suits him and he likes that little bit of control. Also, it’s the perfect excuse to check out the neighbouring Kingdom’s force. He knows his parents are getting suspicious about his trips and so he gives the Captain no reason to report his unexplained movements to them, keeping himself hidden in the dark.

He climbs up the balcony these days and sneaks in through the window, Rapunzel’s arms tightly around him before he is fully across the threshold. 

“Nice uniform” she whispers, planting little kisses all over his face. 

He shrugs. “It’s a little bit warm.”

Rapunzel tugs on his jacket, smile widening and rising on her tiptoes. “Well then, let me help you with that.”

She pulls him down with a laugh and they spend the night wrapped in purple sheets and a blanket of stars. They kiss and they laugh and Eugene whispers the words again and again.

“I love you.”

“I know.”

She doesn’t say more than that but he says it again away. Says it because he can, says it because he wants to, says it because he’s bursting with so much happiness it hurts. 

But he should really know by now that happiness isn’t forever and that when it’s good the only place it has to go is down. 

  
  
  
  


It all starts with Rapunzel ignoring his letters. 

It doesn’t come as too much of a shock to him, he’s heard things in Corona have been bad lately so he writes it off as her simply having no time. He doesn’t blame her for it, he’s all too familiar with having a Kingdom on the verge of a revolt. He continues to write though, continues to spill his heart all over the page in hopes that it makes her feel as warm as she makes him. 

Then the unwritten letters turn into missed visits, Rapunzel being absent when her parents come to stay. They don’t mention where she is and he’s too afraid to ask, especially under the watchful eyes of his own parents. The visits become frequent, more in a month then there ever has been, Rapunzel excluded from all of them, and he starts to get suspicious. 

But it’s when he turns up at the palace one night to find the curtains shut that he really starts to worry. Ever since they’ve been doing this, the curtains have never been closed and it may sound silly, but he takes it as a hit straight to his heart. So he climbs, hands shaking and breath heavy and moves closer to whatever fate the universe has in store for him. 

One moment he’s climbing, then the next he’s sat on her bed, hands clutched in hers as the words come spilling out her mouth, each like a dagger. 

_I can’t do this anymore._

_We can't do this._

_I’m getting married._

_Maybe in another life you were mine._

And then, in a glimpse of hope:

_Someday._

_Someday, someday, someday._

It happens so quickly that it doesn’t really sink in until he’s standing and making his way over back to the widow, his heart shattered and tears freely flowing.

This is where it ends, he supposes.

This is where he looses her.

He pauses for a moment on the balcony and pulls her in, fast and sharp, until she's flat against him. There’s no time wasted before he’s kissing her, lips frantic yet yearning to be that much closer. To hold her until the sun falls out the sky and everything under it becomes dust. 

But now, he might never get that chance. 

So he kisses her like it’s their last and makes sure the words pierce her heart, settle there until she has no choice but to remember them. No matter who else it is that gets to kiss her now.

"I love you. I love you so much.”

_And I always will._

This time it almost kills him when she still doesn’t say it back. 

  
  
  
  


When he returns home the days pass by without him noticing. Soon days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months and before he notices it he’s another year older and stuck in the same place he was all those years ago. He’s sat in the throne room, his parents opposite him, and they’re giving him a lecture about his last reckless trip outside of the castle. The Kingdom was on the brink of an uprising, their people were mad and he couldn’t cope anymore, so he left. He slipped out of the castle, took his horse and left without telling anyone. He was gone for five days before he returned to a very angry King and a search party with his name on it.

“You live in this palace Eugene and in this palace we have rules. Rules that don’t allow a Prince to wander off whenever and wherever he pleases.”

His father’s voice booms around the room causing several of the staff to wince or look away. This is how family matters are discussed in this house, surrounded by complete strangers.

“I am not raising you to be a rebel, I am raising you to be a ruler.”

“What if I don’t want to be a ruler?” It slips out before he has a chance to stop it and he surprises himself at how forceful it sounded. But it’s out now and he has no choice but to stick with it. “What if I don’t want to be King? What if I just want to be normal?”

“Then that would be a silly thing to strive to.”

He lifts his head a little higher, allows himself to fill with more confidence. “Then I guess I want silly things.”

The King sighs, shaking his head in disappointment before leaning forward on his throne. “Where exactly were you?”

Despite his previous antics, Eugene is smart enough to know that he shouldn’t be truthful here. Everything felt overwhelming and there was only one person who could make that feeling go away. So he had gone to Corona in the hopes of seeing Rapunzel- even just once. 

Ever since that day, he never did see her again, he stopped his duty visits and refused to go when his parents went for business. The wedding was never mentioned, he really wasn’t expecting an invite, and every time her name was mentioned he promptly blocked it out.

The only contact they had came a few weeks after he had left, when a letter had arrived for him during dinner. The handwriting was unmistakably hers and so he had excused himself from the table and ran to his room, slumping down on the seat by the window. For hours he sat there just staring at the envelope, his fingers not willing to pry it open. Deep down he knew what was in that letter, knew it would be some sort of apology and well wishes and that was something he really didn’t need to hear. The letter went unread and became the new resident of his bedside table draw.

When he arrived in Corona this time, he made sure to stay as far away from the Palace as he could not wanting to be removed from the Kingdom before he had the chance to see her. He stayed within the outskirts of the town keeping his hood up and his presence low and tried to blend in with daily happenings of the Kingdom.

He was there for two days before he spotted her and his heart had set aflame in his chest. Her hair had been cut and coloured a shade of brown, her dress was a deep purple and had been emblazoned with the Corona crest, her new look complete with a gold crown perched on top of her head. For all the years he knew Rapunzel, she had never liked wearing her crown, and had disliked all the it represented. But now she’s wearing it with pride and she looks every bit the beautiful royal he knew she would be. Thankfully, she’s alone and he indulges himself in a few more moments of staring before retreating back into hiding.

She was thriving and glowing and happy and he wouldn’t be the one to take that away from her. So he left without a word and returned home to his father's wrath.

He stares as his father now, a secret behind his lips and gives him the answer he knows he wants. “Nowhere special. It won’t happen again.”

“I have your word?”

“You have my word.”

He’s finally dismissed and he keeps himself busy with the land plans his father had left to him as punishment.

  
  
  
  


When he turns twenty five, he doesn’t feel like celebrating and thankfully the universe gives him what he wants. In the morning, he finds himself being awoken by his mother demanding that he attend the meeting his father is having in the throne room. There’s only a stern voice and no birthday wishes, but he gets dressed anyway and follows her to the hall. His father is pacing the room distressed and he notices the full court is sat at the table in front of him. They’re flipping through papers and whispering curses and it leaves Eugene confused as to what could have happened in the last twenty four hours.

He’s about to ask why he’s here when he’s pushed into an empty chair and handed a stack of papers covered top to bottom in writing.

“What is all this?” he asks no one in particular, his eyes scanning the pages and he notices his name stands out now and then.

“Your friend from Corona gave us a present this morning.”

And that gets his attention.

His eyes snap up to his father and he swears he can see steam radiating off of him.

“It turns out that they’ve had a shift in rulers and now Queen Rapunzel is sending over demands that we can’t comply with.”

_Queen Rapunzel_.

Eugene’s mind races back to that day he saw her in the Kingdom, crown atop her head, greeting her people freely and it suddenly all makes sense. She was the new Queen. Questions circulate in his mind but he decides to start with the most obvious one.

“Since when?”

“Last year, but they kindly kept it a secret whilst she was busy restructuring the entire Kingdom. It’s only day one and she’s changed half of our deals.”

His father’s voice slowly downs out as he’s overwhelmed with pride. Not only had she stood up to her parents but she was standing up to his too and changing the Kingdoms before his own eyes. She was making a difference and he was getting to live through it. He wishes he had been there with her, been by her side when she was crowned, and part of him wants to be mad at her for keeping it a secret for a whole year.

It’s then that it hits him. As clear as the sun breaking through his window.

_The letter._

He’s excusing himself before his father can say anything more and rushing to his room. He retrieves the letter from the draw, locks his door and sits by the window like he did when he first received it. But this time he opens it, pulls out the letter and reads. 

_Dear Eugene,_

_Firstly, I apologise if this letter is too forward and you have the right to ignore it and never want to hear from me again. I’m not expecting anything in return, but there are things I need to tell you and things you deserve to hear._

_Things have been bad here in Corona, they have been for a lot longer than we thought, and I thought it was my duty to fix things. I thought it was up to me to make things right. They mentioned my marriage the day you first kissed me. I had argued against it, had asked why this law still existed, but it came to no use. They had found a deal and found a prince and were just waiting until I was 18 to set it in motion. I never told you because I didn’t want anything to change, you were my best friend and everything with you felt easy. But then you kissed me and everything did change and I knew I had to protect it, protect you. So I lied to my parents and played their game and agreed with everything they laid out for me._

_There were talks about your Kingdom and your parents and doing things that would ruin your leadership. I did everything I could to stop them but they continued anyway. My parents found out about us, it was after you had left the palace one of those nights and we thought we were being careful. They were more angry about the fact that it was you then they were about me lying to them for years. That night they started coming up with a new trade deal, something that would enrage your parents so much they would stop wanting to visit. They did everything they could to keep us apart, including setting a date for my wedding._

_That day I know I broke your heart and I will never forgive myself for that. You deserved to know the truth and I took that from you. When you left I cried for hours and my parents were far too concerned with laws to even ask if I was okay. The people are angry Eugene, they want change and they will take things into their own hands if they’re not listened to. I’ve grown tired of this, all of the lies and the heartbreak. So things are going to change. I ran away the night before my wedding and only agreed to return when they were willing to compromise on a few things. They didn’t want to risk being known as having a troubled princess, so they listened._

_My father will step down and I will take over as Queen. I want to make a change Eugene and I hope one day I get to see that come to life. More than anything I hope to do it by your side. As Queen I have control over who is with me in this and I choose you, I will always choose you. I love you and I always think I have. I was just too scared to admit it. I love you, Eugene and I want us to do this together._

_I know that I hurt you and you have every right not to forgive me, but if you ever feel like you can I will be waiting, you know where._

_We will have our someday._

_All my love, Rapunzel._

Then next time he’s in those hallways, he’s running. 

He arrived in Corona two days later. It would have been sooner if it were up to him but with Rapunzel’s new changes came a lot of fall out and a lot of messy things for his family to deal with. Including Eugene denying the throne. He had surrendered all duties and all ties and had not let anyone compromise his terms. He would still acknowledge his heritage, but he would no longer be the Prince. From now on he is just Eugene. When the chaos had settled he left without another word, his mind filled with only one thing.

One person.

He finds himself easily passing through the palace gates and walking through the doors as if they were expecting him and he thinks maybe they were. Thinks that maybe there was an order to welcome him if he were to return. So he runs, bursts through doors and keeps going until his heart is ready to spill out onto the floor. He stops when he reaches the hall of portraits, leaning against the wall as he takes in what he sees. The same portraits are there, the same royals staring back at him, except now there is a new addition. At the end of the hall is a painting of the new Queen, her crown as bright as her smile. One look at that painting and you just know what kind of leader she is, what she’s fuelled by. 

_Love._

“Watching the portraits again?”

Her voice flows through the hallways and everything inside him explodes. New stars created in their little galaxy.

He turns his head towards her and he swears his heart skips a beat. She's stood in the doorway, one hand on her hip and the other pushing back her behind her ear. And it hits with no apologies. He loves her.

He can feel the warm rush of tears gathering in his eye, but pushes them down, he needs to get this out first. 

“I’m just curious about the new addition” he begins, pushing up from the wall and making his way towards her, Rapunzel following easily to meet him in the middle. When he reaches her, his arms fall easily around her waist naturally, welcoming. “It captures your beauty perfectly, _Your Majesty_.”

Rapunzel’s flushes at the words, her arms winding around his neck and her head titling teasingly to the side. “It’s nice, but I think it’s missing something.”

“What?” He reaches up to play with the loose strands of her hair. He likes how short it is, how light it feels.It feels like freedom.

Her smile has gone wide and when he sees her first tear fall he doesn’t even think before letting his own overflow. 

“A partner.” The words are caught on a sob and he holds her tighter through it, sending waves through his soft touch on her skin. 

“Really? Got anyone in mind?”

“I think so, but I haven’t asked him yet.”

He shakes his head, smile watery and so, so happy. “I think you should. I think he will say yes.”

She kisses him then and it’s everything he’s been craving all at once. It’s comfort and warmth and hope. It’s desire and longing and forgiveness. It’s Rapunzel and it’s Eugene and it’s _perfect_. Her arms tighten around his neck as she pulls him in closer, kisses him deeper, lets him guide her until she’s pressed up against the wall. He kisses her until all he can think about is Rapunzel and what they’ve just started in this hallway. The future they just created.

She pulls back briefly, much to Eugene’s dismay, and whispers the best three words he’s ever heard.

“I love you.”

She kisses him again and again and again, the words slipping from her mouth like she can’t help it. Years of holding them back coming to an end, shattering on the floor. 

_I love you. I love you. I love you._

This time she does say it back.

Eugene moved into the palace that day without really intending to. He ended up staying the night and just never really left. He fits in easily to the palace, getting along with everyone and taking the time to know them properly. He gets to watch Rapunzel leading from the front line and is never not swelling with pride at how easy this all comes to her. She leads with grace and kindness and the people fall in love with her just like he did. Eugene decides not to rule alongside her and decides to take up a Captain role instead, this way he has a title and authority but leaves all the actual ruling to the Queen herself. Of course, there are times when they make decisions together and times when they don’t see eye to eye, but it works. 

They make it work.

Outside of duties they spend most of their time how they usually would during Eugene’s visits, only this time there is no hiding and no time limit hanging over their heads. They have summer picnics in the garden, spend their days locked in the library and end their night slipping under sheets and falling asleep in each other's arms. They create a life within the palace walls but one outside them as well. They volunteer in the village, read to the children in the libraries, and bring a once broken Kingdom back together. It’s a good life and it’s a life he wants forever.

  
  
  
  


They’re on a date when she finds it. He had taken her on a boat ride around the palace, providing her with all the food and drink she could have asked for, before claiming he had one more surprise for her waiting at the palace. They walked back through the halls hand in hand before he had to leave for Captain duty and encouraged her to go ahead. She had expected to walk into their room and be greeted with some soft of spectacle knowing Eugene, but it’s just their room. And then she sees it.

On their bed is a letter, Eugene’s scribble on the front. Curiously, she walks over to the bed, picks up the letter and reads.

_Dear Rapunzel,_

_A few years ago you wrote me a letter and ever since then I’ve been wanting to write you one in return. I’ve never quite known what it was I wanted to say to you, but now I do. I want to thank you Rapunzel, for giving me everything I’ve ever wanted. You gave me a best friend, a shoulder to cry on, a person to always push me to be my best. You gave me freedom and a life I never thought was possible. I’ve watched you change the world over the last few years, watched you make this Kingdom a better place. But you have also changed my world and I can never thank you enough for that. But I want to spend the rest of my life trying. Back then you gave me a choice, you told me I could ignore your letter or I that I could come find you. Well now I’m giving you a choice. Under the pillow is a box with a ring inside, you can either pretend this letter never happened or you can meet me in the place we first met and bring the box with you. I will be happy no matter which choice you make. I love you and nothing will ever change that._

_Yours forever, Eugene._

She stands there in silence, tears streaming and hands trembling and she knows exactly what choice to make.

She grabs the box.

  
  
  
  
  


Years later they’ll return to The Dark Kingdom. 

But this time it’s with their hands intertwined and matching rings on their fingers, a small bundle wrapped in Rapunzel arms. Even though his parents are something he likes to keep in his past, he knew how important this was, knew that he wanted to keep his daughter connected to her roots. One day when she’s older they will tell her about all that’s happened, all they’ve been through, but when it comes to her grandparents that is her choice to make. And whatever she decides he’ll support her all the way. 

This time they want to do things differently. 

So they’ll keep conversation polite and short and nothing too personal. They’ll eat with his parents and make the rounds of his Kingdom, greeting the people he left behind and visiting the ones that have just arrived. Then, when their daughter is sleeping, they’ll retreat to his room and spend the rest of the night by themselves. 

He’s stood by the window when he feels two arms wrapping around his waist, tugging until warmth spreads up his spine. Rapunzel rests her chin on his shoulder, kissing the underside of his jaw softly. 

“You know, I’ve never been in your room before.”

He laughs gently, arms covering hers. “What do you think of it?”

“I like it.” She kisses his cheek, the shell of his ear, the side of his head. “It feels like I’m seeing a part of you I’ve never seen before. 

Eugene turns then, pulling her closer until he can rest his forehead against hers. “I want you to see everything,” he whispers, voice determined. “I want you to have every part of me. All of it. It’s yours, _I’m_ yours.” 

Rapunzel brushes the side of his face softly, words washing over him. 

“Every part of you Eugene, I love every part of you. Always.”

“Always” he repeats, pulling her in for a kiss. 

They kiss and kiss until Rapunzel’s pulling back with a giggle. “You know, there’s something else we’ve never done in your room before.”

He raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “And what might that be?”

Rapunzel drags him down in answer, pulling him until they both fall on the bed, kisses and laughter filling the rest of their night, the rest of their days. 

They’ve had their someday and now this is their always.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I really fell in love with this universe and couldn't stop writing them, so enjoy a new dream proposal!

Rapunzel was fifteen the first time Eugene proposed. 

They were lying on the floor of her room, looking up at the paper stars they stuck on her ceiling, talking about the dance lesson Eugene had been forced to endure the week before. There was a ball coming up to celebrate the winter solstice and since it was taking place in his palace, apparently, he was required to know how to waltz. It did not go well, from what he told her, and she could feel the sadness dripping off him from the moment his carriage arrived that morning. 

It was quiet when he turned to stare at her, eyes shy and smile sad. 

_I wish I could just stay here forever._

Rapunzel had laughed at that, at the notion that their parents would allow it, at the thought of them living together at such a young age. But Eugene was staring at her completely serious and it only made her laugh harder, silly boy. 

_You can’t Eugene_ she whispered through giggles. _You can only live together when you’re married_. 

_Then I will marry you_ he said, not at all phased. He had turned on to his side, hand reaching out for hers, and smiled softly when she gave it a squeeze. _We will get married and then we can live together forever._

She hadn’t said anything else, didn’t want to stomp on his dreams, instead she cuddled closer and went back to watching the paper stars. 

It’s the first thing she thought of when she read the letter, Eugene’s words echoing as she took the box and ran. It’s what spurs her on as she flies around corners and bumps into staff and almost trips over the bottom of her unnecessarily long skirt. It’s what makes her smile wide when she reaches the all too familiar hallway, Eugene finally coming into sight. 

He is waiting for her like he always is, stood at the other end of the hall, back pressed against the wall and one foot propped up behind him. His eyes are focussed on the portraits again, her new one specifically, and she can’t help but wonder if he’s imagining himself being added by her side. She knows she has.

Tucking the ring behind her back, she walks towards him, keeping her expression calm and innocent.

“Finished with duty already, Captain?”

Eugene turns towards her, smile breaking out almost instantly, and the shivers that run through her are electric. Pushing up from the wall, he moves to meet her, and she stands there expectantly, waiting for the touch that never comes. Instead, he stops a couple of inches away, keeps his arms by his side, and she knows he is sticking to his promise, knows that he is leaving the choice completely up to her.

It only makes her love him more.

“All done” he nods, eyes scanning her face for a sign. “Turns out it was just a false alarm.”

Rapunzel hums softly, trying to hold back her laugh at the terrible liar he makes. She reaches up with her empty hand to grip the lapel of his jacket and pulls him closer, all the way until their noses bump. A sigh escapes her at the contact, as if she has been waiting for it all night, all her life maybe. It sounds ridiculous, especially since they were touching only minutes ago, but that’s just how Eugene makes her feel. Like a free-falling ball of energy lost in the universe, waiting for that one collision that makes it explode. Waiting for the moment it becomes whole.

She brushes her nose against his, plants a kiss to his cheek and lets the silence wrap around them for a while, lets the moment linger and grow and sink in deep until they have no other choice but to remember it. There is a kiss given in return, warm and soft against her forehead, words whispered in the minuscule space between them. 

“Rapunzel” Eugene says, and it sounds as if he is already wrecked just by this, just by being near her.

Finally, he lifts his hands and brings them up until he’s cradling her face, his fingers drifting delicately over her skin, burning her from the outside in. “ _Rapunzel_ ” he whispers again, and this is exactly how she wants to hear her name for the rest of her life- whispered against her, the words only meant for Eugene to say.

She drops his jacket in favour of joining his hand resting on her jaw, twisting their fingers until she can slip hers through his and hold on. Turning her head, she drops a kiss on one of his fingertips, smile expanding when she hears him suck in breath. “I love you” she says, and it is breathed against soft skin. “I love you so much, Eugene.”

Eugene pulls back, only enough to look in her eyes, and says it back easily, as if he was born just for this purpose. “I love you too, more than you will ever know Rapunzel.”

She smiles and pulls him down until their foreheads press together. “Good. That’s good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Eugene dives in for a kiss then, stealing whatever breath she had left and filling her with a fire only he can ignite. It is almost addictive, and she feels herself pressing against back him, pulling everything she can from his lips, fusing them together until they are almost one. This kiss is not anything like the others they have shared before, it is a push and pull, lips separating before coming back together in a collision. It’s like they both this is the start of something cosmic. They kiss and kiss until she is pulling back for a breath, hand locked in his hair, mouth desperate to utter the words she has being dying to say since she saw him.

However, she does plant one last kiss on his lips, just a quick peck, before taking a step back and looking up at him. She watches as he stares at her curiously, his hands moving to her waist as if he cannot be separated from her for even a moment.

“Hey” she says playfully, tilting her head in question. “Do you still want to live with me forever?”

Eugene furrows his eyebrows, confusion looking beautiful on him. “Rapunzel, we already _are_ living together.”

“No Eugene.” Rapunzel shakes her head fondly, leaning back to stare right in his eyes and hopes she can get the message across. “I’m _asking_ you if you want to live here forever, with me. I’m asking if that is something you still want.”

He stays silent for a moment before his eyes widen and his jaw drops, and she knows he has finally got it. There is not much time for her to speak before she is being squashed against him in a hug, arms a tight band around her as he hugs her.

“You- you mean it?” He says pressed against her shoulder.

She nods, her own eyes sparkling in the low light of the hall.

“Really?”

“Yes Eugene” she giggles, smoothing a hand down the side of his face. “Really. There is nothing more that I want in this entire universe than this, nothing more I want than _you_.”

He pulls back, his hands finding her face again, scooping her up until he can press little kisses all over, wet droplets falling on to her skin now and then. She doesn’t mind though; her own tears have started flowing now and she can’t really tell who’s are who’s anymore. It’s a mess of them both of them but she thinks she likes it that way.

“Say it” he whispers between kisses, pressing one to each eye, before dropping down to her nose. “I need you to say it. I need to be sure.”

Bringing her hand out from behind her back, she holds the box up in between them, opening it until the light catches on the ring inside. Slowly, her eyes move up to meet his and she tries to remember this exact moment, wants to remember how happy he looks right now.

“Eugene” she starts and even that has him holding his breath. “From the moment I met you, I knew you were going to be a huge part of my life. Everything was dark and crumbling, but you gave me this feeling that I could put it all back together. Who knew defacing the palace walls would be the start of a love story?”

Eugene laughs and it sounds like music.

“But it was, it was the start of ours. And maybe it wasn’t the type of story you hear often and maybe we had to fight harder for our pages to be written, but now I think it’s time we get to write our happily ever after.”

She reaches out for him blindly, pulling him close, ignoring the weight of the box crushed between them. Her lips find his, hovering for a moment, before she is leaning in close and whispering the words directly onto them.

“Eugene Fitzherbert, my best friend, will you marry me?”

Eugene releases his breath then and if feels like something shatters around them, the wall keeping them apart all these years becoming nothing but dust, gone forever.

There is a pause, a brush of lips, and then an answer.

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes.”

He is pulling her in before she even realises it, laughter echoing along the walls when he picks her up and spins her around until she is dizzy. He stops when she lets out a whine of protest, but keeps her in his hold, sliding his nose along her and pointing his eyes towards the ceiling. Following his lead, she looks up and her heart stills when she sees hundreds of paper stars staring back at her.

“I told you I would marry you one day.”

That’s the last thing she hears before she pulls him into a kiss and swears that she’s going to keep kissing him until the day those stars fall out of the sky.


End file.
